Today's Bike Ride

[Fellbeast]

Great stuff Marco. I figured it would require using an internet photo sharing site. I don’t get on with Flickr- I have a really ancient account already with them but long ago lost the will to live trying to access it. I’ll use 500 pix instead. I’m probably in a very small minority on this, like most things on this forum I guess , but I think the place would be improved massively if more people posted pictures.

Anyway not a picture but an edited video of me blitzing a pb on the Pennine Bridleway off-road part of my cycle route yesterday evening. The segment is 1.66 miles long and took me 12:46 minutes (including the opening and shutting of 8 gates). All condensed to 1 minute 20 for the video

[Fellbeast]

Another great video, thanks.

On a technical point, (and most definitely not a criticism in any form), I noticed on this video and the last one that you were only using the bottom position on your handlebars. Do you ever ride with your hands on the comfortably shaped rubber brake lever hoods?

Yeah for sure when I’m cruising and a-smoozing. Not when I’m trying to push it though, especially off-road

[MattPo]

Is this the Fell runners forum?

[molehill]

Planned a long gravel ride with 1000m+ ascent and set off fine. Took 21/2 minutes off my best on the long climb - 170m ascent - so going well. Then on top the weather changed unexpectedly; sleet, hail, rain, the hills and me turned white. Novice biker error, head into hills in shorts and running top whilst forgetting cycling is far colder than running!
Then had to descend over 500m wet through and freezing cold, made it home with hands and arms too cold to change gear and a bit close to a messy ending.
At least experience kicked in when I got home and I knew how to warm up.

[Graham Breeze]

A 33.33 miles (possibly I did switch off my Garmin before reaching my drive) - max speed 33 mph., climb 2,300 feet - jaunt round the honey pots of North Yorkshire - Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, (Hebden), Grassington, Rylestone (of "Calendar Girls" fame!) to see how many visitors had defied the cold weather to enjoy their Bank Holiday; and the answer was quite a lot. Scores of cyclists out, notably in groups and mostly friendly.

Because I know these roads so well I tend to "switch off" but today as I paused to answer my phone a rider on a Bianchi went past without any acknowledgement. I wasn't expecting genuflection but I have read too much of Dr Hutch not to then chase him down and teach him the courtesy of the road. But I softened and just caught and swept past him with an extravagant and warm spirited acknowledgement. On would think Italian bike dealers would have some form of vetting system though: right sort of school, fluent Italian, island villa. Anyway I comforted myself with some "slam it in the big ring and give it some welly" sector PBs.

After all, cycling is like fell running - it's all in the head.

[Graham Breeze]

The Daily Telegraph today reports (page 2) that police on bikes chased a canal boat for 8 miles along a tow path in Leicester to apprehend a man wanted for assault.

It took so long because "the boat travelled at a top speed of 4 mph".

[anthonykay]

A 33.33 miles (possibly I did switch off my Garmin before reaching my drive) - max speed 33 mph., climb 2,300 feet - jaunt round the honey pots of North Yorkshire - Bolton Abbey, Burnsall, (Hebden), Grassington, Rylestone (of "Calendar Girls" fame!) to see how many visitors had defied the cold weather to enjoy their Bank Holiday; and the answer was quite a lot. Scores of cyclists out, notably in groups and mostly friendly.

But neither you nor the scores of other cyclists stopped for coffee at the Cavendish Pavilion: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/du...ban-and-taxman

[Graham Breeze]

But neither you nor the scores of other cyclists stopped for coffee at the Cavendish Pavilion: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/du...ban-and-taxman

Thank you. This is all quite odd. The Storiths road is narrow,very steep and rugged (and an interesting ride) and mostly used by (Duke of Devonshire) farm vehicles, and 99% of cyclists who wish to stop for coffee would go to the Cavendish Pavilion on the main road - but who am I to question the noble Duke?

[Graham Breeze]

...just to emphasise that their front wheel cost more than my whole bike...

I like to think your Raleigh is actually a reconditioned Carlton under the paint. Has it got ornate lugs?

[Graham Breeze]

...My normal strategy of doing the majority of my mileage, and all the bad weather riding, on a cheap s*** bike which I run into the ground and replace every 10 or so years, may need to change...

Ten or so years?

So how often do you change the Alfa (Quadrifoglio?) then?